Kafir-corn header.



A. H. KBB.v l KAFIR CORN HEADER. y

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1907.

z sums-SHEET x.-

PATBNTBD AUG.- 1-1', 1,903. 1

Sirf-ES PATENT OFFICE. f

ARTHUR H. KBE, OF COY,.OI/LAHOMA.l

KaFrR-coRN'vrrEA-Dnn.

'i No. 895,470.' speciacation or zoeaeriiratent. j Patented Aug. 11, 1908. y Application filed July 19, 1907. Serial No. 384,505. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. KEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Coy, in the county of ivoodward, Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful- Improve.- `ments in Kafir-Corn Headers, of which the lfollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in Kefir-corn headers; and my prii'icipal object. is tc provide a simple machine of light draft which may be hauled through the field behind a wagon for the purpose of gathering and heading the corn and loading said heads into the wagon.

The machine is arranged to cut one row at a time and may be raised or lowered to accommodate fields of corn of different heights.

Other objects will hereinafter appear, and in order that the invention may be fully understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which igure 1 represents a side elevation of the machine in an operative position. Fig. 2 is a wil-view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged re rfcle'vation. Fig. -t is a horizontal section on linesIV-IV of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a detail fronteleiation showing the manner in which the tongue` is secured to a cross-bar employed incarrying out the invention. Fig. 6 1s a brokenv side elevation of the machine showing the-lever for raising and lowering thesame.

In carrying out. the invention I employ a pair of ground wheels 1 and 2, which latter has peripheral shoes 3 to prevent it from slipping while driving certain mechanism hereinafter described. Said wheels are mounted upon a crankaxle 4 rockingly mounted in the lower ends of a pair of arms 5 and provided with a hand-lever 6 having a latch 7 adapted to engage any of the notches in a segment 8 secured to one of the arms 5.

9 designates a conveyer consisting of a trough 10 tapering toward its forward end and a sprocket-chain 11, provided with spurs 12.. Trough 10 is secured at its rear end to arms 5 and at its forward portion to a pair of supporting-legs 13 and a pair of braces 14, which latter are secured at ltheir lower ends to the sup oiting legs. Chain 11 runs around sproc 'et-wheels 15 and 16 fixed upon shafts 17 and 18 at the rear and front ends of the trough, respectively. Shaft 17 is journaled in boxes 19 and a bracket 20, as clearly shown in Fien 3. Shaft 17 is driven by wheel 2, through tie instrumentality of a sprocketwheel A21 fixed to said shaft, a sprocketl' wheel 22 fixed to the hub of wheel 2, and an endless sprocket-chain '23 ruiming around said sprocket-wheels.` Shaft 17 is also rovidcd with a. lixed bevel gear wheel 24 wliich drives a bevel gear wheel 25, fixed to the lower end of a short vertical shaft 26 jour-k naled in bracket 20, and a cross-piece 27. When vthe machine is lowered chain 23 is kept taut by an idler 22 journaled upon a. 1 stub-shaft 22b projecting from the adjacent arm 5.

28 desifrnates a rot-ary cutter fixed to the upper en of shaft 25 and adapted to coperate with a blade 29 in severing the heads of the Kafir corn from thel stalks. Blade 29 is fixed to one side of the trough, and the rotar f cutter overla that it will cast the eads into the trough as it sev-ers them from the stalks. The heads are directed to the cutter and the blade by a gatherin -arin 30 and a shield 31, the foi'- ward ents of which are spread in opposite directions in order to engage the stalks. Arm 30 extends backwardlyand closes the rear end of trough 10, while shield 31 is secured to the adjacent arm o and supportingleg 13 and is of sufficient width to prevent the corn from bending inwardly and becoming entangled with the sprocket-chain 11.

32 designates an adjustable tongue consisting of two bars 33 34 pivotally secured at their rear ends to the lower ends of a pair of oye-bolts 35, pivotally engaging the arched portion of axle 4 and held apart by collais 36 secured to said axle. The forward portion of the tongue normally rests up'on a transverse bar 37 secuied to the lower portion of legs 13 and provided with a U-bolt 3S loosely engaging the tongue so that it will iiot'interfere witzli raising and lowering the machine for corn of dillerent heights. tion of said U-bolt normally rest-s upon the tongue, and in conjunction with 'the transverse bar 37, controls the forward portion of the machine and prevents it from unduly tipping up or down.

The forward end of bar 33 is provided with a link 39 adapted to engage a hook 40 -se cured to the rear axle 41 of the \vagoii42. Bar 37 is )rovided with holes 3 so that the U-bolt an the tongue may vbe either secured to one side or the center of the bar as indicated by full and dottedlines Fig. 4.

In practice the knife side of the machine is adjusted to the right of the wagon, as shown s said blade and side so The upper porwill direct the stalks to the rotary knife,

- the arched portion of the crankaxle 4.

which in conjunction with blade\ 2Q, will sever the heads and cast them upon chain l l in trough 10 where they are enga-ged by the prongs and carried thereby to the forward end of the conveyer from whence theyxare discharged into the wagon. Should the"corn in one field be lower than that in another,

the machine may bereadily lowered by drawing lever 6 forward and thus lowering Prepa.rator to hauling the machine from one field to another or upon the road, the draft is centralized by adjusting bolt 38 and the tongue to the center of bar 37, as shown by dotted lines Fig. 4.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a machine of the character described, an axle, ground wheels mounted thereon, arms extending upwardly from said axle, a trough secured to said arms, sprocket-wheels mounted in the ends of said trough, an endless chain connecting said sprocket-wheels, a blade Iixed to the trough, a rotary cutter which coperates with said blade, and gearing driven b v one of the ground wheels for driving the rotary cutter and the sprocketwheels and chain, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the character described, a crank-axle, ground wheels mounted thereon, a lever for raising and lowering the arched portion of the axle, a conveyer, a blade fixed to one side of said conveyer, a rotary cutter overlapping said blade and side of the conveyor', means for directing the corn to the rotar) critter, and gearing driven by one of the ground wheels for driving the rotary cutter and the conveyer,` substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the character described, a crank axle, ground wheels mounted thereon, means for raising and lowering the arched portion of the axle, a conveyer, a blade fixed to uiid conveyer, a rotary cutter overlapping said blade, gearing driven by one of the ground wheels for driving the rotary cutter and the conveyer, and an adjustable tongue' connected to the axle, substantially as described.

4. In a machine of the character described, an axle, ground wheels mounted thereon, a conveyer suitably mounted at its rear end upon the axle, a blade lixed to one-side of the conveyer, a rotary cutter overlapping said blade, means for directing the corn to the cutter, gearing driven by one of the ground wheels for driving the rotary cutter and the conveyer, and a pair of supporting legs secured to 'the forward portion ofthe conveyer, substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the character described, a crank axle, ground wheels mounted thereon, a conveyer suitably mounted at its rear end upon the axle, alblade fixed to one side of the conveyer a rotary (utter overlapping said blade, means for directing the corn to said cutter, gearing driven .by one of the ground wheels for driving the rotary cutter and the conveyer, a pair of supporting legs connected te the forward portion of the conveyer, a transverse bar secured to the supporting legs, and a tongue pivotally connected to the axle and adjustably secured at `its forward portion to the transverse bar,

'substantially as described.

6. In a machine of thc character described,

an axle, ground wheels mountedthereon, a,

Aconveyer suitably mounted at its rear end upon the axle, a. blade fixed to one side of the* conveyor a rota-ry cutter overlapping said blade, means for directing the corn to the cutter, gea-ring driven by one of the ground wheels for driving the rotary cutter and theconveyer, supporting legs secured t0 the forward portion of the onveyer, a transverse bar secured to said sch )porting legs, a U-bolt adjustably secured to-\said transverse bar, and an adj ust-able tongueextending between the transverse bar and the U-bolt and pivotally connected to the axle, substantially as described.

7. In a machine of the character described, an axle, ground wheels mounted thereon, arms extending upwardly from said axle, a. conveyer secured at its rear end to said arms, a rotary cutter overlapping one side of the conveyer, gearing driven by one of the ground wheels for driving the rotary cutter and the conveyer, depending supporting legs secured to the forward portion of the conveyer, a shield connected to one of the arms and one of the supporting legs, and a gathering-arm arranged to one side of the shield and secured to the rear end of the conveyer.

S. The combination with a wagon, of a fastening device secured to the rea-r axle thereof, a pair of ground wheels, an axle upon which said wheels are mounted, arms extending upwardly from said axle, a eonveyer secured at its rear end to said arms, a rotary cutter mounted at one side of said conveyer, gearing driven by one of the ground wheels for driving the rotarv cutter and the conveyer, and a tongue having means adapted to engage the fastening device on the wagon axle.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature,

in the presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR H. KEE.

Y IVitnesses:

W. E. MCC-UNE, CARY HENRY.. 

